Crayon sharpener



Oct. 19,1954 w, LEEDS ETAL 2,691,960

CRAYON SHARPENER Filed Feb. 23, 1952 Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CRAYON SHARPENER Walter Albert Leeds and Norbert J.Sweete, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 23, 1952, Serial No. 273,062

2 Claims. I 1

This invention pertains to devices for sharpening or pointing the endsof crayons.

It is well known that due to the composition of crayons, the matter ofSharpening or pointing by usual means and methods presents a somewhatawkward and messy task. The shaved particles have a tendency to cling tothe cutting implement employed and the small shavings are diificult toconfine or accumulate for proper disposal and, further, the hands of theperson performing the operation become soiled.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a novel crayonsharpener that is simple in construction, easy to use, and whichobviates the foregoing diiilculties.

Another object is to provide an improved crayon sharpener having aplurality of circumferentially spaced-apart cutter blades, arranged inconverging relation to each other, for receiving the end of a crayontherein, with each blade having an inwardly facing cutting edge,together with relief portions adjacent said cutting edge to reduce thepossibility of adherence of crayon shavings thereto.

A further object is to provide an improved crayon sharpenercharacterized by the provision of a cutter head and cutter blades,together with a shavings collector receptacle adapted to be detachablyconnected to the head in surrounding relation to the cutter blades.

Still another object is to provide an improved crayon sharpener having acutter head formed with a guide opening, with the wall of the openingbeing of substantial length, together with a plurality of convergingcutter blades connected to the head and disposed in registration withthe guide opening.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a view, part in section and part in elevation, showing thecrayon sharpener and shavings collector receptacle embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembly of the crayon sharpener andshavings collector receptacle.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially asindicated at line 33 on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, axial section through the combinedsharpener and shavings collector receptacle, taken substantially asindicated at line 44 on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional view, taken substantiallyas indicated at line 5-5 on Figure 4.

The crayon sharpener embodying the present invention comprises a unitarydevice indicated at It, preferably molded from any suitable materialsuch as, by way of example and not limitation, thermo-plastic material,such as polystyrene. Associated with the unitary sharpener device, indetachably connectable relation, is a shavings collector receptacle II,which likewise may be formed as a unitary molded product of any suitablematerial, such as thermo-plastic material.

As shown in the drawing, the unitary sharpener device It comprises ahead member or plate I2, formed with an opening I4, for the reception ofthe end of a crayon, as indicated at I5. Surrounding said opening, onthe underside of said head member, is a flange or collar I6, which,together with the thickness of the head member I2, provides a guide Wallof substantial length for insuring proper guidance for the end of thecrayon when it is being inserted into the sharpener device preparatoryto pointing or sharpening said crayon. The sharpening device I0 isprovided with a plurality, herein shown as four, circumferentiallyspaced-apart cutter blades I 8, which converge together in a directionaway from the head plate I2, as clearly seen in Figures 1 and 4 of thedrawing. The inner edge of each of the cutter blades is formed toprovide a knife edge or cutting edge, as indicated at I9. The sides ofthe cutter blades taper toward the cutting edge and thereby providerelief portions for the shavings cut from the end of the crayon as thecrayon is rotated in contact with the converging cutting edges IQ ofsaid blades. Due to the shape of the cutter blades in cross section, asmay be seen in Figure 5 of the drawing, relief isprovided for suchshavings when the crayon is rotated in either direction with respect tothe cutter blades. By this arrangement, the shavings cut from the crayontend to freely dislodge themselves from the cutter blades.

As herein shown, the upper ends of the cutter blades are formedintegrally with the underside of the head plate I2 and the flange l6thereof, and the lower or opposite ends of the cutter blades arepreferably, but not necessarily, integrally connected together by adisk-like member indicated at 2 I.

The shavings collector receptacle Il may be of any desired contour and,as shown, is of circular cross section. Said receptacle is closed at oneend and the opposite or open end is provided with an internal annularrecess 23, dimensioned for a snug friction fit around an annularshoulder 25, formed on the undersid of the head plate l2, as clearlyseen in Figure 4 of the drawing. By virtue of this construction, thshavings cut from the crayons are conveniently collected within thereceptacle and when desired the receptacle may be quickly and easilydetached from the unitary cutter device ID for disposal of theshavings-therefrom.

It will be zapparent'izhat, if desired, the :cutter device l may beutilized independently of a shavings collector receptacle.

Although We have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment ofour invention, manifestly it is capable of modification without.oleparting from the spirit and scope thereof. We do not, therefore,wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the preciseembodiment herein disclosed, except as we may be so limited by theappended claims.

We claim as our invention:

I. A unitary, molded crayon'sharpener "formed of thermo-plastic materialcomprising a head member provided with an opening for the recaption of acrayon therein, and a plurality of oircumferentially spaced-apart'cutt'erb'lades secure'd'at one end to the "underside of said headmember, in surrounding relation to said opening,

said 'cutter blades having cutting edges extendi-ng toward the axis ofsaid opening and in converging relation to each other, in a directionaway from said head member, the ends of said blades, remote from saidhead, being rigidly connected together.

2. A unitary, molded crayon sharpener formed of thermo-plastic materialcomprising a head member provided with an opening for the reception of acrayon therein, a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart cutterblades secured at one end to the underside of saidhead-.member,

in surrounding relation to said opening, said cutter blades havingcutting edges extending toward the axis of said opening and inconverging relation to each other, in a direction away from said headmember, the ends of said blades, remote from said head, being rigidlyconnected together, and a collar surrounding said opening andconstituting a guide for centering the crayon with respect to saidcutter blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent

